1000 Books before Kindergarten

Every young child enjoys curling up with a favorite grown-up and a favorite book. Reading with your child gives them a lifelong love of books and builds the necessary early literacy skills every child needs to learn to read. The more children are read to, the larger their vocabulary becomes, and the more prepared they are for school.

Heights Libraries is committed to supporting every child in our community on their path towards reading. That’s why we’ve joined the national 1000 Books before Kindergarten campaign. Join us in our goal to have every child read or listen to 1000 books before they start Kindergarten by signing your little one up for our free, fun program!

What is it?

1,000 Books before Kindergarten is an initiative to promote early literacy and reading to parents and caretakers of infants and very young children. The goal is to encourage parents to read one thousand books with their children before sending them to kindergarten. Reading together builds the necessary early literacy skills every child needs in order to learn to read.

Who can participate?

Any child from birth until he or she enters kindergarten may participate in the program.

Since 1000 Books was initially created by a national foundation, it is possible that a family has already been tracking their reading progress with the help of the 1,000 Booksbefore Kindergarten If a child and caretaker have already been actively participating in a 1,000 Books program on their own, they may still (and are encouraged to) sign up with the library program and we will honor their completed reading.

How does it work?

Parents and caretakers can sign their child up at any Heights Libraries branch.

They will receive their first log sheet and can start tracking their reading right away.

Alternatively, reading can be tracked using the 1,000 Books before Kindergarten app available through the iTunes App store or Google Play.

For each 100 books read, participants check in at the library and add a sticker to our colorful caterpillar banners that will be hanging in each Youth Services Department. In addition they will pick up their next log sheet and get a sticker to take home that says “I’ve Read ……… Books!” Staff members are asked to fill in the blank with the number of books the child has read or give the child a marker to do so themselves.

Participants do not have to read 1,000 separate titles and there is no required reading or booklist associated with the program. Books are simply counted each time that they are read.

Participants can sign up at any time of year, at any age, until they are enrolled in kindergarten.

Participants are encouraged to keep reading in order to finish their 1,000 book goal even after entering a kindergarten program.

Special Milestone Prizes and Incentives

100 Books Read: Participant can pick out a special book to take home

500 Books Read: “I’m On My Way to 1,000 Books!” Tote Bag

1000 Books Read: “I’ve Read 1,000 Books!” T-Shirt

Why 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten?

Listening to books and reading together with parents and caretakers nurtures childhood brain development and builds the necessary early literacy skills every child needs in order to learn to read and be prepared for school.

Every young child enjoys curling up with a favorite grown-up and listening to books. Reading together promotes a lifelong love of books by creating a positive association with the experience of reading.

With this program the library will be able to reach our very youngest members of the community with the goal in mind to keep them coming back not only through Kindergarten enrollment, but throughout their formative years, fostering a life-long love of books, reading, and learning.